Dick, Thanks - I went back and read the manual and I see it clearly explains what the RS232-XCVR jack is for. Sorry, I missed that.
Ok on the advantages of the RS232 port, I will hook that up. I run my remote station with an 8 port terminal server, and have one port left (I control the rig, 3 rotators, LP-Remote, LP-100 watt meter, and Winkeyer). I have control over the power to the amp to shut it off if I need a hard reset (via LP-Remote and a relay-power jack). I can't use the standard Elecraft K3-KPA500 cable as I need to bring out pins from the K3: ON and FSK are the ones I remember. So, I will build a cable and bring out the various pins I may use on either side of the connection. dana On Sun, Jul 24, 2011 at 1:25 PM, Dick Dievendorff <[email protected]> wrote: > The KPA500 XCVR connector is used primarily to support Kenwood rigs that > communicate their frequency via a serial port. > > If you want to control the amplifier remotely, you'll probably need to > connect its PC-side serial port to some remote control program. The KPA > Utility (as one example) shows you the amplifier's output power, SWR, PA > voltage, PA current, temperature, monitors for faults, displays the current > fault, has a button to clear the current fault, changes bands, switches > between standby and operate, and turns the amplifier on and off. You can't > do many of these things from the ACC connector. You can do some of them by > remote control of the K3 (like change bands). You can pulse an ACC pin to > simulate pressing the front panel power button. You can change the amp's > band by controlling the transceiver remotely and transmitting. You can > observe that some fault has occurred, but you can't read the fault code > through ACC. There's no pin on ACC to switch the amp between operate and > standby, or clear a fault. > > Dick, K6KR > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Dana Roode [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Sunday, July 24, 2011 1:09 PM > To: Dick Dievendorff > Cc: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Remote > > Hi Dick, thanks for the information. What is the RS232 (XCVR) connection on > the KPA500 for? Its why I am some misperceptions about connecting the K3 to > the KPA. > > At this point I see I can control the KPA via its RS232 port but for some > reason I am inclined to use the control pins on the KPA AUX plug, which > seems to be the other way to go. > > Dana > > > On Sun, Jul 24, 2011 at 12:37 PM, Dick Dievendorff <[email protected]> > wrote: >> Dana: >> >> There isn't an option to connect the KPA500 to the K3 via RS-232. >> There's an option to connect the KPA500 to the K3 via its 15-pin ACC >> connector. If you use that cable, the K3 can track band changes >> initiated by the amplifier, the amplifier will track K3 band changed >> without requiring transmission, and it includes the amp keying line >> and the ALC voltage. This connection also includes an AUXBUS >> connection that the KPA500 can use to send fault indications to the >> K3. And the K3 can automatically adjust its output power based on its > knowledge of the amplifier being in "operate". >> >> The KPA500's "PC" serial port should instead be used for your remote >> control program, which could be the KPA Utility, or someone else's >> remote control program. >> >> When you use the KPA500 and don't switch the back panel power rocker >> switch, the front panel on/off button (and the equivalent software >> command) turns off the high voltage power supply, but leaves the > microcontroller running. >> The microcontroller runs in its "boot block" code and part of that >> code recognizes a software power on command. The KPA500 Utility >> "Operate" page uses this technique for its remote control power turn-on. >> >> If you require the KPA500 to be "really, really off", you should first >> press the front panel power button to turn the amp off. Then you can >> remove all power by switching the back panel rocker switch or >> interrupt the KPA500's AC supply. It's a good idea to let the >> amplifier close down in a controlled way (press its front panel power >> button, physically or via a remote control >> program) so that it has a chance to write its current state into >> EEPROM and also dump HV filter capacitor energy into the fan. If you >> don't do this, you'll see fault table entries (using the KPA500 >> Utility's Fault Table >> display) showing uncontrolled power off events. >> >> Nice callsign, Dana! >> >> 73 de Dick, K6KR >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [email protected] >> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Dana Roode >> Sent: Sunday, July 24, 2011 12:15 PM >> To: Elecraft Reflector >> Subject: [Elecraft] KPA500 Remote >> >> Folks - who out there has set up their KPA500 as a part of a remote > station? >> I'm planning to do so here, and wondering whether others have used the >> pins in the AUX cable or plan to use software commands to turn the Amp >> on and off, etc. It appears both may be options. >> There also appears to be a pin in the Aux cable that indicates a fault >> condition, which would be handy to monitor remotely (I have a >> LP-Remote board from N8LP). >> >> I need to make a custom cable between the K3 and the KPA500 to connect >> some lines (band indication, auxbus?) and bring out others - the ON >> pin for the >> K3 that I currently use, the toggle ON/OFF pin for the KPA500, etc. >> >> So, what are others doing? I see there are options to connect the KPA >> to the K3 via RS232 not sure what that would buy me. >> >> Dana, K6NR >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post: mailto:[email protected] >> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email >> list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >> >> > > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
